Malaysia Airlines: Miles to go for salvaging brand

Twice this year the world awoke to rude shocks. On March 8, a plane mysteriously disappeared an hour after take-off from Kuala Lumpur and on July 17, another came crashing down in eastern Ukraine, shot down by separatists fighting the local government.

In both cases, the planes belonged to Malaysia Airlines, which is not only the flagship carrier for Malaysia but is also a key airline in Southeast Asia.

Following the second mishap, there was a collective gasp across the world: Can the airline redeem itself after the twin episodes?

Brand experts believe that redemption will come with time.

"This is something that the airline didn't heap on itself. It simply happened to it. It could have happened to any other airline, especially the second episode.

"The possibility of some kind of redemption is by approaching the current episode with empathy. Remember the airline was accused of withholding information when MH-370 (the first ill-fated plane) disappeared.

"Possibly the airline could now extend full support to the family of the deceased of MH-17 (the second plane), address all their queries and claims, ensure that the bodies reach their loved ones, above all, make sure there is proper investigation of how the crash happened," says Santosh Desai, managing director and CEO, Future Brands.

Text: Aneesh Phadnis and Viveat Susan Pinto, Business Standard

Image: An aircraft of Malaysian Airline System taxis on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang outside Kuala Lumpur.